Creative Colorwork Scarf Knitting: Designing Repeating Patterns

Whenever I get bored with a knitting project, and crave some two-stranded knitting, I pick up my DIY scarf. The colorwork patterns I’m using are random, and come from some books I have.

I began this tubular scarf with a provisional cast on. When it is long enough, I will connect the ends, using the Kitchener stitch, and create one long tube to wrap around my neck, twice.

I began this scarf project out of boredom. It is my love for knitting colorwork that I needed a project like this. My stitch count is 100 and the repeating patterns must fit into that count. Patterns must evenly divide into 100.

Or, I can create an extra stitch. For instance, on the “people” pattern I had to add one more space (extra gray stitch) between them to make the stitch count work. I believe it was 19, and I made the repeat 20.

I’ve had fun choosing patterns and making some up myself (very simple ones). I think this type of knitting, with blocks of different patterns and colors, has a name.

All of this scarf is Fair Isle, meaning I use only two colors per row. Some rows are one color only, but I never use more than two at a time. I hold the dominant yarn in my left hand and knit it continental style, while knitting with the other color English style.

I found this fun blog post at Talvi Knits that talks about knitting in two passes when using more than two colors in a row. It sounds like mosaic knitting, but using more yarn colors. It sounds pretty confusing!

All I needed to do was to find repeating patterns with numbers that divided evenly into 100. There weren’t that many. You’d be surprised at how many repeats are4, 6, 8 and 12!

Occasionally, I don’t like the design once it’s knit. I’m not very good with selecting colors to combine. Because I am using only stash yarn, I have a limited amount of color variety to use.

It doesn’t matter on this project. I may never have a chance to wear this scarf anyway. I live in Florida where no one ever wears a scarf.

Knitters, read on….